Aether
The aether, native to the planet Etheria, are the youngest sentient species in the galaxy, and are known for their curiosity and energy. Despite their new state among galactic society, they've quickly adapted to animar technologies and interstellar travel. Known for their unique physiology, with the swirling gases that make up their being visible through their translucent skin, the aether are viewed as a strange curiosity by many. Favoring peaceful interaction over conflict, the aether quickly found a home for themselves among the other races of the galaxy. Physiology A typical aether individual has coloring ranging from deep purples to bright reds created by the gases that swirl beneath the surface of their skin. Lacking most of the common facial features of humanity, they only similar element are their eyes, which glow with an internal energy and tend to be of a similar color to the rest of them. In the place of head hair, their energy flows out of the backs of their head, making them appear similar to a burning flame. Due to their lack of any mouth, aether speech instead flows out through their thin skins causing a faint echoing effect. Aether typically stand around five feet tall, and weigh less than even their typically lithe builds imply, generally falling between 40 and 60 lbs. Their hands have only three fingers, accompanied with a single thumb, and their feet have two wide toes with both fingers and toes lacking nails. Lacking the typical facial structures that humans use to show emotion, the aether instead express themselves largely in the shape of their eyes and the swirls of their internal gases. Darker moods tend to thicken the clouds of gas, causing aether to physically darken while lighter moods see fewer clouds and a more vibrant flow of energy. Beyond just holding an androgynous appearance, the aether are actually a sexless species. There is no differentiation in them beyond their individuality. Instead aether reproduce through a melding with any number of partners. After the melding is complete and the aether separate back into their normal forms, they leave behind a small portion of their mixed essence that grows into a newborn aether. Aether are known to have lifespans stretching into two and a half centuries. Reproduction Unlike humans, aether reproduction does not require members to be of differing genders, nor is it limited to only two parents. When aether choose to reproduce, the parents are able to initiate a melding that allows their various energies to mingle between their membranes. Once the melding period ends, the parents are then able to leave a separate smaller membrane that is filled with a mix of their various energies. This will then form into a new aether. History Origins The aether originate from the planet Etheria, a large gas world in the Lument System. They quickly learned to combine the mineral deposits the planets core with the abundant Helium in order to build satellite cities in the skies of Etheria. A culture of art and expression quickly developed among the aether, though the thick gases of their planet hid the stars beyond from them. Intervention In the year 2,851 CE the aether made first contact with humankind. A tentative discourse began and by the end of the year the first Aether were taken into space to see the galaxy beyond their home. With the help of humanity, the aether were building their own spaceships within a year, and within another five had begun to spread across the galaxy and colonize various gas giants within human space. Thanks to their different needs, humankind and the aether were able to build a close alliance. The aether were free to colonize gas planets across human space in return for fair trade of the resources within. Society Aether society was originally a simple and peaceful one, the thick clouds of their homeworld preventing them from ever wondering what existed beyond their world. It was only after the intervention of humanity and their subsequent uplifting that they learned of how big the galaxy truly was. Their culture is a peaceful one, though since they first left their homeworld they have gained a penchant for adventure. Many are artists or musicians and they tend to embrace life to the fullest. Homeworld Etheria is a swirling gas giant located in the center of the Lument System. Their cities are built on floating satellites in the seas of helium and gases that encompass their homeworld. The clouds are so thick and omnipresent that without gravity it would be impossible to tell which way was up, and which lead deeper into the planet. Language Aetherial is a musical language of that is impossible to properly recreate without their unique biology. It is comprised of the bubbling of their inner gases and the waves of energy, and can best be described as sounding akin to a running stream. Outer Colony Life Aether are explorers and artists, musicians and street performers. They seem ill-content to settle down and many make great pilots or drivers in order to express their desire for exploration. Notable Aether *Soline *Argon *Ambassador Azic Aether Worlds *Etheria *Helena *Bellerophon *Sheol *Saturn *Jaxton *Pegasus Category:Races